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Meet the Author

I always wanted adventure and change in my life, and I certainly got it. I grew up in Maine, a beautiful place to live, then lived in the Midwest and Florida. Now I make my home in the Hill Country of Texas, truly God's chosen place on earth. My husband, David, is a sixth generation Texan, tracing his roots here back to the time when Texas was a Republic, so retiring here was a dream we finally fulfilled. I've had a lot of firsts in my life – first female sports report on The Michigan Daily at the University of Michigan; first woman to own a rock and roll agency in Detroit, the home of Motown; first woman president of the Pasco (Florida) Economic Development Council. I graduated from the University of Michigan with a double major in English and History, and a minor in economics., and went on to have at least four careers. When my children were small, I satisfied my need for writing by working for weekly newspapers. I had a wild and wacky time managing rock and roll bands. I joined the insanity of retail with a string of shoe stores. I worked in fundraising, public affairs and community relations. But writing fiction was always my dream. I had a lot of stops and starts, but it wasn't until we retired that I could devote myself to it full time. My wonderful husband, David, encourages me and supports me in my dream. Our children are all grown and on their own, and are my biggest fans. When I'm not writing I'm an avid reader – anything and everything – and watching football, especially my beloved Michigan Wolverines. David and I golf and target shoot., and of course enjoy life in the gorgeous Texas Hill Country, where most of my stories are based. I am a member of Romance Writers of America, and San Antonio Romance Authors, Diamond State Romance Authors, and Passionate Ink chapter of RWA.

Read an Excerpt

1.6em;">Darkness had settled over the city like a thick cloak, scudding clouds hiding all but the hazy image of the full moon. It was hot for October in Texas, but the fall weather was always unpredictable. And anything could happen on Halloween, weather-wise or otherwise.</span>

Dea Russo leaned closer to the mirror in her bathroom, applying an extra layer of eye liner to her lids. She had to look her very best tonight. More than her best. Once again, it was the night for her to find her mate, and once again, she prayed for the success that had eluded her so far. At thirty-two, she was beginning to despair of ever making the connection.

"The time has not been right before," Zia Stella had said just that morning when Dea had been complaining that she'd end up being an old maid. An old cat. Maybe someone's familiar.

"Maybe he's just not out there," she protested.

"Dea. Bambina. It must be the right one."

And that had been the problem. Year after year. For her kind, her breed of shifter, there was only one night to find one's mate. Halloween. And the mate must also be a shifter of the same kind. No crossbreeding, she'd been warned. Others had tried it with disastrous results. The pack wouldn't stand for it, anyway. Especially not with her. The daughter of the alpha.

"You know the story," Zia Stella had told her over and over again. Since the death of her parents, her Zia and Zio were her closest family. "We came here from the Old Country in a small boat more than three hundred years ago, on the special night. There were not that many of us. Maybe two dozen. That was all that was left of a once-large pack. The moon was full when we landed and lit the way for us as we found places to hide before dawn. We had barely escaped massacre by other breeds and swore a solemn oath to keep the race pure."

"You are the one to carry on,"&nbsp;Zio Rigo always reminded her. "The power passed from your father to you. The future of the pack depends on the proper selection of your mate."

Yes, yes, yes. She could recite it by heart now. The problem was, she hadn't been tempted by anyone at all, panther or mixed. So they were still without a permanent leader.

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